wilmot



No. 620,395. Patented Feb. 28, I899.

F. A. WILMOT.

REINFORCED. TUBE JOINT FOR METALLIC TUBING.

(Application and Oct. 20, was.

(No lludal.)

WITNESSES INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. \VILMOT, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE \VILMOT &HOBBS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

REINFORCED TUBE-JOINT FOR METALLIC TUBING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,395, dated February28, 1899.

Application filed October 20, 1898. Serial No. 694,116. (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. WILMOT, a citizen of the UnitedStates,resid in g at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Reinforced Tube-Joint forMetallic Tubing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of metal tubes which are formed fromblanks of sheet metal whose edges are provided with interlockingprojections and recesses which when united form a lock-joint, and hasfor its object to provide a reinforce for the joint which when appliedto portions of the joint where the tube is to be bent or flattened willprevent the edges from separating or springing inward and will serve asan additional support for a cross-brace, as in the rear forks ofbicycles.

With these ends in view I have devised the novel reinforce-joint which Iwill now describe, referring by reference characters to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is asection of a piece of tubing having a bend or offset and flattened uponone side and showing the application to the joint of one form of mynovel reinforcingstrip; Fig. 2, a face view of an offset and flattenedpiece'of tubing, bothof said figures indicating in dotted lines theposition of a cross-brace, as in the rear forks of a bicycle; and Figs.3, 4, and 5 are perspectives of the ends of pieces of tubing,illustrating slightlymodified forms of the reinforce for the joint.

A denotes a piece of tubing formed from a blank of sheet metal the edgesof which are secured together by a lock-joint B, formed by means ofinterlocking projections and recesses on the edges of the blank; D, (seedotted lines,) a cross-brace, as in the rear forks of bicycles, and Cdenotes a curved metallic reinforce which is brazed or soldered upon theinner side of the joint, said reinforce being brazed, soldered, orotherwise united to both edges of the blank and to the interlockingprojections.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a reinforce consisting of a straight-edged stripof metal overlapping the joint and firmly secured to both edges thereofand to the interlocking projections. In Fig. 4 I have shown a reinforceconsisting of a similar straight-edged strip of metal made wide enoughso as to extend more than half-way around the inner side of the tubeinother words, made wide enough so that the edges will extend past thecenter of the tube on bothsides, so that instead of there beinga-tendency on the part of the reinforce when not brazed to place tospring away from the joint the shape of the reinforce itself, especiallyif said reinforce when bent to shape be given a diameter at its widestpoint in cross-section slightly greater than the tube within which it isto be placed, will act to hold it closely down in contact with the innerface of the joint.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a reinforce similar in principle to thatillustrated in Fig. 4; but instead of a straight-edged strip of metal'Ihave shown a toothed strip of metal which reduces the weight and makesan appreciable saving in metal, and, moreover, possesses all theadvantages of the other form in that the shape of the reinforce itselfretains it in position in contact with the joint irrespective of thebrazing by which the reinforce is secured to the joint, so that allstrain or tendency of the reinforce to spring away from the joint inbending or flattening or in resisting the thrust of a cross-brace iswholly done away with. It will be noted that the points of the teeth,which are indicated by 1, extend past the center line of the tube onboth sides, the points of the teeth corresponding approximately with theedges of the strip in Fig. 4, and that the bases of the teeth, which arein dicated by 2, lie within the center line of the tube, the bases ofthe teeth in Fig. 5 corresponding approximately with the edge of thestrip in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A tube formed from ablank of sheet metal whose edges are provided with interlockingprojections and recesses which when united lie in the curved plane ofthe tube and form a lock-joint the inner face of said joint being bracedand strengthened by a curved metallic reinforce Whose edges extend pastthe center line of the tube on both sides, for the purpose set forth,said reinforce lying in contact with and being firmly united to bothedges of the blank and to the interlocking projections.

2. A tube formed from a blank of sheet metal whose edges are providedwith interlocking projections and recesses which when united form alock-joint, the inner face of said joint being braced and strengthenedby a toothed edged curved metallic reinforce se- 10 cured upon the innerside thereof, the points of said teeth extending past the center line ofthe tube on both sides and the bases of the teeth lying within thecenter line of the tube.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK A. WILMOT.

Witnesses:

A. M. WOOSTER, HENRY G. Foo'rn.

